The present invention relates to roller skates. More specifically, the present invention relates to an in-line skate having centering springs, which engage pivotally mounted wheel housings to align of the skate wheels along the in-line axis of the skate.
Generally, prior art skates utilize a truck assembly attached to a skating boot to support and steer the skate. The truck assembly typically includes front and rear identical trucks attached to a supporting truck plate, which carries the sole of the boot. Each truck is usually a one piece casting of aluminum or other suitable material. The trucks have a generally horizontally extending pedestal portion and a generally vertically extending ball joint (or tongue) portion, both of which intersect at a bearing housing cast into the truck. An axle extends laterally through the bearing housing and carries a wheel on each end thereof. The upper end of the ball joint portion has a threaded ball joint, which engages a socket formed into the bottom of the truck plate. The pedestal portion supports a pedestal assembly, which extends upwardly to engage the truck plate in another socket formed into the truck plate.
The pedestal assembly typically includes one or more disk shaped shock absorbers of relatively hard but yeildable elastomeric material, e.g., hard rubber or urethane, which are separated by spacers. A king pin (or main stud) of the pedestal assembly extends through the center of the shock absorbers and spacers to thread into the truck plate socket. The arrangement and dimensioning of the pedestal assembly and ball joint permit limited rocking between the wheel axles and the skate boot as a skater shifts his or her weight during a turn or jump.
However, it is critical that the wheels snap back to their center position each time before a skater lands. Unfortunately, the elastomeric shock absorbers wear and set with repeated use. In time, the shock absorbers will permanently set such that the wheels will be out of alignment, i.e., out of their predetermined center position. This can be especially problematic for competitive skaters that rely on the ability of their skates to flex and realign with precision during each performance. Accordingly, prior art skates require relatively constant maintenance, and are difficult to adjust.
Additionally, the optimum amount of flex for each pair of skates varies from skater to skater depending on such factors as their level of skill, their weight and their style of skating. However, changing or adjusting the shock absorbers to vary the amount of flex is a difficult and time-consuming procedure. Moreover, the degree of flex will not remain constant as the elastomeric shock absorbers wear and set to one side.
Another problem associated with prior art skates is that the distance between the front and rear wheels are not adjustable for any given pair of skates. To a skater, the greater the distance between the front and rear wheels, the larger the turning radius and the greater the stability. Conversely, the smaller the distance, the smaller the turning radius and the less stable the skates. Again, the optimum distance depends on the skill level and style of the skater.
In the case of prior art in-line skates the wheels are rigidly aligned along an in-line axis of the skate which runs laterally through the center of the skate. However, prior art in-lines skates have little or no flexibility to compensate for weight shifts of a skater and to assist the skater during jumps or turns.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved skate having a mechanism to more accurately and consistently flex and center its wheels after a jump or turn, and which is subject to less wear over time. Additionally, the amount of flex should be easily adjustable, as well as the distance between the front and rear wheels.
The present invention offers advantages and alternative over the prior art by providing a skate device, such as a skate or a skate board, having centering springs, which engage pivotally mounted wheel housings to align of the skate wheels along the in-line axis of the skate device. The wheels more accurately and reliably flex and snap back to their center positions than prior art skates. Additionally, the skate device has less of a tendency to wear in such a way that the wheels become set out of alignment. Moreover, the centering tension on the springs, as well as the in-line distance between the wheels, is easily adjustable.
These and other advantages are accomplished in an exemplary embodiment of the invention by providing a skate device, e.g., a skate or skate board. The skate device includes a foot support device, e.g., a boot or a board, and a truck assembly for supporting the foot support device. The truck assembly has a first wheel housing mounted in pivotal relation to the foot support device. A first wheel has a first axle mounted to the first wheel housing for rotation about a first wheel axis. A first spring housing is mounted in fixed relation to the foot support device. A centering spring is mounted within the first spring housing and engages the first wheel housing to pivotally urge the first wheel toward a predetermined first center position.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the truck assembly of the skate device has a truck plate attached to the foot support device. The first wheel housing is pivotally attached to the truck plate, and the first spring housing is rigidly attached to the truck plate.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the skate device includes a second wheel housing pivotally attached to the truck plate, opposing the first wheel housing. A second wheel has a second axle mounted to the second wheel housing for rotation about a second wheel axis. A second spring housing is attached to the truck plate, opposing the first spring housing. A second centering spring is mounted within the second spring housing and engages the second wheel housing to pivotally urge the second wheel toward a predetermined second center position. When the first and second wheels are in their respective centering positions they are substantially in line with each other and the first and second wheel axes are substantially parallel to each other.
In another alternative embodiment of the invention, each wheel housing of the skate device includes a plurality of laterally spaced mounting devices for adjusting the lateral distance between the first and second wheel axles along the in-line axis of the skate device.
In another alternative embodiment of the invention the truck housing of the skate device includes a first spring retainer plate removably mounted to the first spring housing to retain the first spring within an interior of the first spring housing.